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It's easy to notice Reid on the field before being aware that his brother is former LSU All-American and NFL Pro Bowl safety Eric Reid, as his physical nature and athleticism pop out immediately. The all-state pick and four-star prospect from Louisiana played in 12 games as freshman, making 23 tackles, intercepting a pass, and breaking up one other as a reserve. Reid contributed in 13 games as a sophomore, starting 10 and earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors (57 tackles, four for loss, seven pass breakups). He followed his brother’s example by garnering second-team Associated Press All-American accolades in 2017, while also receiving a first-team all-conference nod, by starting 11 of 14 games, compiling 99 tackles, 6.5 for loss, five interceptions, and six pass breakups. Reid's father, Eric Sr., ran track at LSU and his brother, Ryan, plays soccer at Coastal Carolina.

By Lance Zierlein

NFL Analyst

Draft Projection

Rounds 1-2

Overview

Reid is what teams are looking for at the safety position in 2018. He's a plus size/speed prospect who has the athletic ability to help with man coverage and the instincts and ball skills for ball-hawking duties on the back end. Reid can get himself into some trouble when he's overly aggressive, but his positive plays far outweigh the negative. He has the talent to become an early starter and a good one. Reid's instincts and play traits should make him a safe selection with Pro Bowl potential down the road.

Strengths

Offers excellent versatility

Good football intelligence

Plays with rapid response to motion and formation shifts

Rarely caught out of position

Shows ability to excel up top or near the box

Able to line up over the top of slots and drag tight ends around the field as well

Stays deeper than deepest from single high coverage

Works with NFL-caliber recognition to reaction time

Has speed and anticipation to range over top and challenge the catch

Impressive ball skills

Can sink and scoop low throws or elevate and take away the jump ball

Physical challenges to the catch point

Sprints hard from high to low to handle run support

Eludes blockers in space

Tough enough for box duties

Runs the alley and smothers running backs

Reliable wrap and drag tackler

Weaknesses

Backpedal is rigid and slow to gain ground

Will get beat by quicker slot receivers

Gets behind in coverage on crossing routes

Grabby at the top of the route rather than trusting the technique

Willingness to gamble with his eyes can lead to big-play opportunities for offense

Play-fakes can bait him early in the play

Downhill angles on the throw are a little inconsistent

Comes in hot as a tackler

Needs to improve ability coming to balance to avoid misses on the next level

Sources Tell Us

"There aren't too many issues in his game. If he tests well he could sneak into the back half of the first is my guess. He's better in coverage than his brother." -- NFC General Manager